Combination sandwich holder and knife guide



L. N. SANGER 2,057,250

COMBINATION SANDWICH HOLDER AND KNIFE GUIDE Oct. 13, 1936.

Filed Dec. 13, 1934 "@332; g /L "7A...

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 13, 1936 umrsnsmrss PATENT oF IcE COMBINATIONSANDWICH HOLDER AND KNIFE GUIDE Lillian N. Sanger, Framingham, Mass.Application December 13, 1934, Serial No. 757,411

5 Claims. (01, 146-450) Theinvention relates to a combination sandwichholder and knife guide by which a sandwich may be held, and accuratelycut with a knife.

The essential object of the invention is to provide a device by whichthe sandwich may be handled, and the cutting operation effected, withouttouching the sandwich with the hands.

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to thedrawing in which- Figs. 1 and '2 show in perspective different forms ofthe device when made of bent wire.

Fig. 3 shows in perspective a modified form of the device in which sheetmetal is employed as one of the chief elements in place of wire.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section showing a detail of construction of the deviceshown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 shows in cross section a modification of the device shown in Fig.3.

Referring to the drawing- As shown in Figs. '1. and 2, when the deviceis made of relatively heavy wire, the device comprises a handle I formedby bending; the wire upon itself to form opposing arms 2 and 3, and loopforming end 4 connecting the arms, the arms and end combining toform'the handle. Beyond the handle the arms 2 and 3 are extended byportions 5 and 6 to form an opening 7 for receiving a knife (not shown)introduced to pass between the portions 5 and 6 of the arms. Theportions 5 and 6 of the arms are preferably rather widely separated inorder to'secure easy entry for the knife without the necessity ofaccurately positioning it. Beyond the opening 1 the arms are broughttogether by portions 8 and 9 to form a relatively narrow slit l0 intowhich the knife may be drawn down from out of the opening 7 into theslit, the portions 8 and 9 of the arms, or wire, then forminga guide forpositioning the knife.

The outer open end of the slit l0, and outer ends of the portions 8 and9 of the arms between- Whichathe slit is formed, lie within orimmediately adjacent to the sandwich holding and knife guiding part ofthe device borne by the handle. This comprises feet l2 and I3 brought tobear against the sandwich by means of the handle for holding thesandwich in place, and between the feet a guide M for the knife adjacentthe mouth of the slit ID by means of which the sandwich may beaccurately cut by the knife while the sandwich is being held presseddown by the feet borne by the handle.

The feet I2 and I3 and guide 14 are formed by a: further bending of thewire. From the end of the portion 8 of the wire adjacent the slit illthe wire is turned forward at right angles to form the portion l5 of theguide M, thence the wire is turned outwardly and back to form the footI! and is again turned forward to the end of the portion 8 of the wireto form the portion it of the guide. Likewise from the end of theportion 9 of the wire adjacent the slit ID the wire is. turned back atright angles to form the portion llof the guide M, thence the wire isturned out.- wardly and forward to form the foot 13, and is thence againturned back to the end of the portion 9 of the wire to form the portionl8 of the guide. 7

The portions I5, l6, H and I8 of the wire forming the guide I4 extendfore and aft of the'mouth of the slit Ill. The respective portions I5,l6; l1, l8 are spaced from one another to leave a slit l9 between themwhich lies midway between the two feet and extends in alignment with theslit l0. In using the device the feet 12 and I3 lying in a common planeare brought into contact with the top of the sandwich by means of thehandle, and are held pressed against the sandwich by the handle, forholding it in place preliminary to cutting. A knife is then insertedinto the opening I and brought down where its cutting edge will passthrough the slit it] into the slit 19 forming the knife guide, whereuponby further depression of the knife with accompanying drawing action thesandwich will be cross-cut as defined by the guide.

In Fig. 2 the device is made in the same way as in Fig. l excepting thatthe feet I2 and ii] are angularly bent, the combined feet forming aquadrangular square, or figure, whose sides provide guides by which thesandwich may be edge out to conform to the square, or figure. It will beobserved, also, that the guide l4 extends diagonally across the square,or figure, so that after the edge cutting of the sandwich it may bedivided into two precisely similar triangular pieces as the knife isdrawn through the guide as aforesaid.

In Fig. 3 where'lsheet metal is employed in making the device instead ofwire, a handle 2!! preferably of wood is employed, the handle having ametal shank 2|. That portion of the device forming the opening intowhich the knife is initially introduced, the guide for the knife duringthe cutting operation, and the feet for holding the sandwich in placewhen brought into engagement with the sandwich by means of the handle,is formed of two squares of metal plate 22, 23. Each of these squares isbent at right angles along a bend extending diagonally across eachsquare from corner to corner to provide two adjacent but spacedsectional portions 24, 25. These portions are preferably reinforced andstrengthened by means of a central raised rib 26 therein made rounding,and the two sectional portions 24, 25 are fastened to the handle by theshank extending into the top ends of the ribs of the respectivesectional portions which are then spot welded to the shank. Therespective sectional portions 24, 25 form between them an opening 21into which the knife is initially introduced, and provide also a guide28 with interposed slit 29 for the knife as it is brought down tocross-cut the sandwich. The out-turned sectionalportions 30, 3| of therespective plates form the feet of the device brought to bear againstthe sandwich by means of the handle. Inasmuch as these combinedsectional portions 30, 3| form a quadrangular figure or square the outeredges thereof will form a guide for edge cutting of the sandwich thesame as in Fig. 2 where the device is made of wire. It will also beobserved that the rib 26 is preferably extended onto the respectivefeet.

Instead of making the sectional portions 24, 25 of the device parallelwith one another as shown in Fig. 3, a better opening 26 for theintroduction of the knife may be obtained as shown in Fig. 6 where theseportions are bowed outwardly to leave an ample clearance between them,but gradually approaching one another within the plane of the respectivefeet for forming a guide for the knife in the slit as aforesaid.

I claim:

1. A combination sandwich holder and guide for cutting, comprising, ahandle, separate feet carrying members connected to the handle, toextend therefrom and turned outwardly to form feet lying in a commonplane whereby the feet may bear against the sandwich when they arebrought into engagement therewith by means of the handle, said feetbeing spaced and co-operating with one another to form a knife guidingslit between them whereby the sandwich when the feet have bearing asaforesaid may be cross cut by a knife positioned within said slit, saidfeet carrying members being spaced and co-operating with one another toform an opening above said slit communicating therewith for initiallyreceiving the knife and directing it into said slit for making the cutas aforesaid.

2. A combination sandwich holder and guide for cutting, comprising, ahandle, separate feet carrying members connected to the handle to extendtherefrom and turned outwardly to form feet lying in a common planewhereby the feet may bear against the sandwich when they are broughtinto engagement therewith by means of the handle, said feet combiningtoform a quadrangular figure with edges forming guides for edge cuttingof the sandwich, said feet also being spaced and co-operating with oneanother to form a knife guiding slit between them whereby the sandwichwhen said feet have bearing against it as aforesaid may be cross cut bya knife positioned within said slit, said feet carrying members beingspaced and co-operating with one another to form an opening above saidslit communicating therewith for initially receiving the knife anddirecting it into said slit for making the cut as aforesaid.

3. A combination sandwich holder and guide for cutting, comprising, ahandle, separate feet carrying plates connected to the handle to extendtherefrom and bent outwardly to form feet lying in a common planewhereby the feet may bear againstthe sandwich when they are brought intoengagement therewith by means of the handle, said feet being spaced andco-operating with one another to form a knife guiding slit between themwhereby the sandwich when the feet have bearing as aforesaid may becross cut by a knife positioned within said slit, said feet carryingplates being spaced and co-operating with one another to form an openingabove said slit communicating therewith for initially receiving theknife and directing it into said slit for making the cut as aforesaid.

4. A combination sandwich holder and guide for cutting, comprising, ahandle, separate feet carrying plates connected to the handle to extendtherefrom and bent outwardly to form feet lying in a common planewhereby the feet may bear against the sandwich when they are broughtinto engagement therewith by means of the handle, said feet combining toform a quadrangular figure with edges forming guides for edge cutting ofthe sandwich, said feet also being spaced and cooperating with oneanother to form a knife guiding slit between them whereby the sandwichwhen the feet having bearing as aforesaid may be cross cut by a knifepositioned within said slit, said feet carrying plates being spaced and.co-operating with one another to form an opening above said slitcommunicating therewith for initially receiving the knife and directingit into said slit for making the cut as aforesaid.

5. A combination sandwich holder and guide for cutting, comprising, ahandle, separate feet carrying plates connected to the handle to extendtherefrom and bent outwardly to form feet lying in a common planewhereby the feet may bear against the sandwich when they are broughtinto engagement therewith by means of the handle, reinforcing ribs onsaid plates extending through the bends therein and on to said feet,said feet combining to form a rectangular figure with edges formingguides for edge cutting of the sandwich, said feet also being spaced andcooperating with one another to form a knife guiding slit between themwhereby the sandwich when the feet have bearing as aforesaid may becross cut by a knife positioned within said slit, said feet carryingplates being spaced and co-operating with one another to form an openingabove said slit communicating therewith for initially receiving theknife and directing it into said slit for making the cut as aforesaid.

LILLIAN N. SANGER.

